Two soldiers killed inside Masaka army barracks
Lieutenant Benon Mutatina, the political commissar at the barracks.
MASAKA- Two soldiers attached to the UPDF Armoured Brigade Barracks at Kissajjagirwa in Masaka District have been shot dead inside the military installation.
The dead are Corporal Bahingana and Lance corporal Kabugo, who were killed on Wednesday night while guarding one of the military technical stores in the barracks.
Although some reports linked the shooting to a possible attack on the military installation, authorities at the barracks dismiss the claim; blaming the incident on an isolated case of indiscipline a soldier.
Retired Lieutenant Joe Walunsimbi, the Masaka Resident District Commissioner, who also heads the district security committee, confirmed the incident.
He however, said the incident was not a coordinated attack on the military installation.
“I have personally visited the scene, but there are no clear indicators of any attack. Had it been the case, you would have witnessed heavy combat deployment everywhere in town,” he said.
Lt. Walusimbi said the two soldiers were reportedly shot and killed by Lance Corporal Joseph Aliyoni, who was attached to the same barracks.
He said the soldier is on the run.
“This is the very report I have got from the authorities in there and I assure the public that we have nothing to hide in all this. Our teams are already out hunting for this undisciplined soldier and we are sure he will be apprehended shortly,” he said.
The Armoured Brigade is one of the specialised units of the UPDF Land Forces. It has several tank battalions, a maintenance unit and a training school at Armoured Warfare Training School –Kalama as its organic elements.
Journalists were barred from accessing the scene of the shooting.
Lieutenant Benon Mutatina, the Political Commissar at the military facility later told journalists that they could not be allowed into the barracks because of the intensive search for the errant soldier who is suspected to be hiding inside.
But Mr Simon Mugerwa, who resides near the barracks told journalists that he heard several gun shots in the middle of Wednesday night.
Cases of soldiers going on rampage killing civilians and colleagues are on the rise.
On April 21, Lance Corporal Moses Katungwensi Katoko attached to Mburamizi 307 Brigade in Kanungu District shot eight people dead and handed himself to police.
On June 15, seven people were shot dead inside Makindye Military barracks by Sgt Obua who was also killed in the shootout.
On June 27, a UPDF officer attached to Gadaffi Barracks in Jinja, stormed a bar and shot four people who were inside the pub. He then shot himself dead.
